Four Square~~

Corny Title? Perhaps......

Super simple today! I wanted to whip up something quick and mega easy. As always, SU punches to the rescue! Pair up punches and some DSP for a quick card like this. I used Baja Breeze CS for the base and then Early Espresso CS for the scallop squares. The DSP is all Garden Gala and the greeting is from a retired set called (interestingly) Four Square! Didn't know that when I named the post~~

The background stamp you see is ancient SU. I haven't had any of the new background stamps in a long time as I found I didn't use them much. I am re-thinking that now, as they add some "texture" with little fuss. Hmmmm.....

So Happy New Years to all y'all! I hope your life is blessed and that you choose to be a blessing to others as well. I know God has been faithful to me, even when times are hard. Or should I say, especially when times are hard. It is then that I truly feel His presence. This year has been a strenuous one for our family. But in the end, I see God's hand in all of it. Some things I am still waiting for my vision to clear on, and others are very clear. I know in His time, whatever I am supposed to understand, I will. And the rest is not for me to "get" in this life. Whether or not I "get" it doesn't truly matter. Knowing Him and submitting myself to His plan, that is really all that matters. I want to be a Winner not a Whiner.

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli

Hello Honey~~

Sometimes when you are thinking of a friend, it is good to let them know! I nabbed this Hello stamp in the $1 bin at M's recently and I think it is so cute!

The cards you are seeing this week are from a set that I made for a co-worker. I sell my cards at work also (to customers....I work in a car dealership) and this co-worker liked my cards so much she actually spent money on them. Then she told me how much her friends liked them when they received them. Since I wanted to do a little something for certain co-workers, I made the cards you are seeing for her.

I adore the Garden Gala DSP, so I went to town with it! It makes card making a snap. I never used to think Su DSP was worth the $$, but in the last couple years, I have become a bit of a paper hog! (Paper hogs of the world unite!....I know you're out there!) I chose layouts from the CAS blog and had this together in a snap. For this one I added a couple rhinestones that I got at my LSS, and I keep several colors and sizes on hand. I kept wanting to add ribbon, as no card seems complete with out it, but in the end I decided I liked the simplicity of it the way it is. The CS is Daffodil Delight and matted with Pear Pizazz. That's about it!

I have been decorating the inside of my cards a bit lately. I cannot show you the inside of these as I already gave them away. But the next few I make I will try to remember to photograph the inside.

Keep life simple, bring others joy and hug your kids!

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli

Garden Gala DSP~~

This paper is so gorgeous! The color options in it are fantastic! Wait til you see all the pretties this week!

This layout is from the Clean and simple blog (side bar). It is layout FTL110. Check it out! I used my photo corner punch to make the "flag" end on the greeting there. It gets a little lost in the photo, but it makes an even triangle. I used Early Espresso, Baja Breeze and Pear Pizazz CS here. I adore the color combo.

If you haven't been to the CAS blog, you should hurry there now. No matter your style, supplies (or lack thereof) or interest, you can find a simple layout that will have you stamping in minutes!

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli

Merry Christmas~~

Short and sweet today! Merry Christmas from my family to yours! This simple card can still be made today if need be, super easy from the CAS blog (in my side bar). I used Cherry Cobbler CS with the Snowflake folder from SU. The rest is plain to see!

Merry Christmas from The Deckard's!

"For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour who is Christ The Lord."

I Heart You~~

Special card for a friend~~

I needed something bright and cheerful for a good friend recently, and I pulled out some old SU colors. None of the new colors are bright enough for what I needed. I used Pink Passion and Yo Yo Yellow cs! They certainly are bright!

The layout is a fall back layout that I use often. The hearts are from PTI, as is the punch I used on them. I popped them up with dimensional's and spaced them evenly. You can see I used the Scallop Edge punch on the white layer. I like how the thin yellow layer adds a nice pop of color. The sentiment is an old SU hostess set.

Today (Saturday) is going to be full of baking and wrapping with my daughters! Yay! I am hoping tomorrow to get some time alone in my craft room~! I NEED it. I don't want it, I NEED it~~YKWIM?

Oh, and Christmas is next Saturday! Are ya ready? I am just about there~~~

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli

~~Let it Snow!

This layout has been a card AND a framed piece for me before! I have made it in blues and greens as well as the red/black you see here! I am glad SU came out with the snowflake embossing folder this year, it's perfect! I really like the embossing folders that are partial, as opposed to full embossing. They seem soft and easy to implement without being overwhelming!

I also used the SU snowflake punch here and the SS is called Big On Christmas. A small touch of colored pencils and ta-da! You could also color in the letters for another "pop"~!

I hope your Christmas shopping and plans are coming along. Take time to pause and remember the purpose of Christmas. Celebrate the Savior!

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli

Two of A Kind~~

So these adorable little penguins are all over the stamping blogs these days, so naturally I wanted to try my hand at them!

I used SU's Two Step Owl Punch to create these guys! I used the layers in different ways. I cut the feet off the black layer and then punched an orange layer and adhered them together. I used an orange heart form the punch, layered behind the eyes to create the nose. And I used the layer intended for the owls belly in black, cut in half to create the wings~ The rest is easy to see!

The cute greeting goes perfectly here and I picked it up at M's for $1! The DSP is SU's Bashful Blue.

The owls, penguins and whatever else you create with this punch is a labor of love. So many tiny pieces, but so adorable!

~~Stamping Smiles~~

Shelli